Caster with high-strength axle carrier

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a caster, in particular free-running caster, having twinned wheels ( 26, 26 ′), having a housing ( 10 ) with a substantially vertically aligned, upper-side journal opening ( 12 ) for holding a rotary journal ( 14 ) for connecting the caster to an item of furniture or to some other object, and having an axle bolt ( 22 ) which extends through the housing transversely with respect to the journal opening and supports the wheels. In order to permit cost-effective production with sufficient load capacity in the region of the axle receptacle, it is proposed according to the invention that an axle carrier ( 18 ) having a passage opening ( 24 ) for the axle bolt ( 22 ) is arranged in the housing ( 10 ), with the axle carrier ( 18 ) being composed of a material with a higher strength than the housing ( 10 ).

The invention relates to a caster, in particular free-running caster, having twinned wheels, having a housing with a substantially vertically aligned, upper-side journal opening for holding a rotary journal for connecting the caster to an item of furniture or to some other object, and having an axle bolt which extends through the housing transversely with respect to the journal opening and supports the wheels.

In the case of known casters of said type, the axle bolt is pressed directly into the caster housing. Since large forces are absorbed by the housing in the region of the axle bolt, for example shocks when traveling over a threshold or when the item of furniture is set down hard onto a caster, the axle receptacle of the housing can be easily deformed or damaged. For this reason, a high-quality but therefore also more expensive plastic material is used for the production of the housing.

Based on this, the object of the present invention is that of developing a caster of the type specified above which permits cost-effective production despite, high mechanical strength in the region of the axle receptacle.

The combination of features specified in patent claim 1 is proposed for achieving said object. Advantageous embodiments and refinements of the invention result from the features of the dependent claims.

The invention is based primarily on the idea that the greatest loadings of the caster occur in the region of the axle receptacle, but that parts of the housing which are remote from said axle receptacle are loaded to a much lesser extent and can therefore be composed essentially of a material which, although being of lower strength, is more cost-effective for this reason. It is therefore provided according to the invention that an axle carrier having a passage opening for the axle bolt is arranged in the housing, with the axle carrier being composed of a material with a higher strength than the housing. As a separate component, the axle carrier requires significantly less material than the rest of the housing, so that a higher-quality material can be used for the axle carrier than for the housing. The required strength of the region of the axle receptacle is therefore obtained at lower cost than if the entire housing were produced from the higher-strength material. It is in principle possible for the axle carrier to be completely enclosed by the rest of the housing material, for example by means of a corresponding arrangement of the axle carrier in an injection-molding die for the housing. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the housing has an outwardly open, duct-shaped axle carrier opening for holding the axle carrier. The housing and the axle carrier can then be produced independently of one another and joined together at any desired time.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, both the housing and also the axle carrier are composed of a plastic material, the housing for example of a polypropylene and the axle carrier of a polyamide. Alternatively, the axle carrier can also be composed of a metal, preferably of a zinc alloy or light metal alloy.

The axle carrier is expediently arranged in a force-fitting, cohesively joined and/or form-fitting manner in the housing, for example pressed in, adhesively bonded or welded thereto. The axle carrier can essentially have any desired cross-sectional shape, for example a rectangular or round cross section, but preferably has a substantially rectangular cross section with two integrally formed ribs which are arranged transversely with respect to the passage opening of the axle bolt. The housing can be prevented from being levered open under extreme loading if the axle carrier, in an alternative embodiment, has a substantially dumbbell-shaped cross section, with the in each case T-shaped end parts engaging into corresponding undercuts of the axle carrier opening.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the axle bolt is pressed into the passage opening of the axle carrier, wherein in order to obtain a form-fitting and force-fitting engagement, said axle bolt can have a knurling or equivalent profiling on its part which is held in the axle carrier. A particularly secure seat of the wheels on the axle bolt is attained if the axle bolt is provided, on both sides of the housing, with two undercuts which are arranged spaced apart from one another and with which beads on the inner side of tubular hubs of the wheels are in engagement. The hubs of the wheels can extend axially into the region of the wall parts which delimit the axle carrier opening.

Recesses for the leadthrough of the axle bolt are expediently provided in those wall parts of the housing which delimit the axle carrier opening, wherein the recesses should be larger than the cross section of the axle bolt, so that the axle bolt does not come into contact with the adjacent housing wall in the event of small deflections. The axle carrier opening is preferably arranged laterally offset with respect to the journal opening in the underside of the housing.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of the exemplary embodiments which are illustrated schematically in the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective exploded view of a free-running caster having twinned wheels and having an axle carrier for holding the axle bolt.

The caster illustrated in the drawing is composed substantially of a housing 10 with a journal opening 12 for holding a rotary journal 14, by means of which the caster is rotatably fastened to an item of furniture or the like, and having an axle carrier opening 16 for holding an axle carrier 18, of an axle bolt 22 which is pressed into a passage opening 24 of the axle carrier 18 and is aligned transversely with respect to the axle carrier opening 16, and of two wheels 26, 26′ with tubular hubs 28, 28′ which are plugged onto the free ends of the axle bolt 22 and rotate thereon. The wheels are composed of a wheel body with sprayed-on running faces composed of a material which is suitable for the application, for example of a soft material for use on a hard floor or a hard material for use on carpets or the like. A curved cover 30 of the housing 10 covers the upper region of the wheels 26, 26′.

The housing 10 has, in the region of the axle carrier opening 16, recesses 32 through which the axle carrier 18 extends and which guide the latter. Transversely with respect thereto, the housing has grooves 34 into which ribs 36, 36′ which are formed on the axle carrier 18 engage. This measure, too, serves for better guidance of the axle carrier 18 and increases the load capacity of the arrangement. At the lower end of the axle carrier opening 16, two projections 38, 38′ project laterally from the housing wall. Said projections 38, 38′ form a lateral cover for the hubs and the housing region situated above said hubs, so that an infiltration of dirt is prevented there. At the same time, said projections 38, 38′ reinforce the housing 10 in the region of the axle carrier opening 16 in such a way that the housing part which holds the axle carrier 18 can be designed to be comparatively narrow. In this way, the hubs 28, 28′ of the wheels can be designed to be particularly long and be guided into the region of the recesses 32, as a result of which said hubs 28, 28′ can have a relatively great holding depth for the axle bolt 22, which increases the stability and load capacity of the caster. Overall, it is possible by means of said measures to considerably reduce the material use in the production of the housing 10 while maintaining required load capacity values.

During the assembly of the caster, the axle carrier 18 is initially pressed or inserted and fixed into the axle carrier opening 16, so that the passage opening 24 for the axle bolt 22 is released and sufficient free space for the hubs of the wheels is provided between the axle bolt 22 and the projections 38, 38′. The axle bolt 22 is then pressed in a centered fashion into the passage opening 24. Finally, the wheels 26, 26′ are pressed with their tubular hubs 28, 28′ onto the axle bolt 22, with said hubs 28, 28′ latching with beads into undercuts or grooves in the axle bolt 22. The insertion of the rotary journal 14 into the journal opening 12 can take place before or after the assembly of the axle carrier, of the axle bolt and of the wheels.

In summary, the following is to be noted: the invention relates to a caster, in particular free-running caster, having twinned wheels 26, 26′, having a housing 10 with a substantially vertically aligned, upper-side journal opening 12 for holding a rotary journal 14 for connecting the caster to an item of furniture or to some other object, and having an axle bolt 22 which extends through the housing transversely with respect to the journal opening and supports the wheels. In order to permit cost-effective production with sufficient load capacity in the region of the axle receptacle, it is proposed according to the invention that an axle carrier 18 having a passage opening 24 for the axle bolt 22 is arranged in the housing, with the axle carrier 18 being composed of a material with a higher strength than the housing 10. 

1. A caster, in particular free-running caster, having twinned wheels (26, 26′), having a housing (10) with a substantially vertically aligned, upper-side journal opening (12) for holding a rotary journal (14) for connecting the caster to an item of furniture or to some other object, and having an axle bolt (22) which extends through the housing transversely with respect to the journal opening and supports the wheels, wherein an axle carrier (18) having a passage opening (24) for the axle bolt (22) is arranged in the housing (10), with the axle carrier (18) being composed of a material with a higher strength than the housing (10).
 2. The caster as claimed in claim 1, characterized by a duct-shaped axle carrier opening (16), which is provided in the housing (10), for holding the axle carrier (18).
 3. The caster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing (10) and the axle carrier (18) are composed of a plastic material.
 4. The caster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing (10) is composed of a polypropylene and the axle carrier (18) is composed of a polyamide.
 5. The caster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing (10) is composed of a plastic, preferably of polypropylene, and the axle carrier (18) is composed of a metal, preferably of a zinc alloy or light metal alloy.
 6. The caster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle carrier (18) is arranged in a force-fitting, cohesively joined and/or form-fitting manner in the housing (10).
 7. The caster as claimed in claim 6, wherein the axle carrier (18) is pressed in, adhesively bonded or welded to the housing (10).
 8. The caster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle carrier (18) has a substantially rectangular cross section with two integrally formed guide ribs (36, 36′) which are arranged transversely with respect to the passage opening (24) of the axle bolt (22).
 9. The caster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle carrier (18) has a substantially dumbbell-shaped cross section, with the in each case T-shaped end parts engaging into corresponding undercuts of the axle carrier opening (16) and preventing the housing (10) from being levered open under loading.
 10. The caster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle bolt (22) is pressed into the passage opening (24) of the axle carrier (18).
 11. The caster as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle bolt (22) is provided, on both sides of the housing (10), with two undercuts which are arranged spaced apart from one another and with which beads on the inner side of tubular hubs (28, 28′) of the wheels (26, 26′) are in engagement.
 12. The caster as claimed in claim 2, characterized by recesses (32), for the leadthrough of the axle bolt (22), in those wall parts of the housing (10) which delimit the axle carrier opening.
 13. The caster as claimed in claim 2, wherein the axle carrier opening (16) is arranged laterally offset with respect to the journal opening (12) in the underside of the housing (10). 